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Why do I volunteer and why should you?

This month’s message is a call to action. I am calling on you to help your Orange County Escrow Association. We are looking for new directors, members and gifts for our fundraising auction, which will be held at our next General Membership Meeting on September 18.

OCEA’s mission is to provide an environment for members of the escrow industry to collaborate, support their peers and expand their knowledge. A big part of CEA’s mission is to give escrow practitioners a voice in our state and national legislatures, to either support or fight back against proposed laws that would have an impact on how each of us conducts our business. Membership is down this year throughout the state. To be better able to fulfill our mission, we need your help and support in increase membership. Join us, bring your creativity and special talents, and put yourself on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the industry!

 Mickey Vandenberg

It’s election time! Annual elections will be held at our September meeting, and there will be a couple of seats open on the OCEA Board for next year(s). Your OCEA Board is a passionate and dedicated group of individuals who work hard to fulfill our mission, and have fun together while we’re doing that. For a time commitment of only a few hours a month, you will receive so much more in return. We would love to have you join us!

Here are some reasons why I volunteer at both OCEA and CEA, and why you should consider doing so as well:

  1. To have our voices heard, by other associations, organizations and also at the state and federal level. Our escrow world has gone through significant changes since 2009, and it is important to me to have my voice heard through the association. In addition, it gives me a great platform to share my knowledge with my escrow tribe!

  2. Through membership, education and active participation, together, we raise the bar of standard practices in our chosen profession, benefiting the public we have chosen to serve. As our world continues to change, the more voices we have, the better we will all be heard.

  3. To network and make new friends. Being a part of OCEA and CEA has improved my network of contacts and I have made some great friends as well.

  4. To build out my resume! Being a part of both OCEA and CEA helps me add new skills and roles to my resume.

Hopefully this gives some new perspective and reasoning for you to consider becoming a board member. I encourage you at the very least to ask yourself why you wouldn’t volunteer when the benefits are so great. If it’s just not for you, maybe you know someone who’d be great for the job!

If you are interested, please reach out to me for more information.

Back by popular demand, our September 18 General Membership Meeting will feature a fun live auction! Start your holiday shopping early AND support your OCEA. Your donation of auctionable items would be much appreciated-- the more the merrier!

Please mark your calendar now and plan to join us for education, camaraderie and escrow chicken at our remaining 2019 General Membership Meetings:

  • Wednesday September 18th
  • Wednesday, November 20th

Watch your email for our meeting notices and reservation information - here is the link for the September General Meeting -- and bring a colleague or client with you! We’ve got a great program lined up for you, and look forward to seeing you then! 

Sale! Sale! Sale! Are you planning to attend the CEA Conference, October 11-12 in Costa Mesa? Have we got a deal for you! Non-members who send in their 2020 membership applications together with their CEA conference registration forms are eligible to pay MEMBER prices for conference. That’s right! That’s an automatic savings of up to $210.00! Here’s a link to the membership application, and a link to the conference registration form.

Please promote CEA and OCEA to prospective future members. If you haven’t already done so, please “like” us on FaceBook, and visit the OCEA website where, among other useful bits of information, there’s a list of all of our 2019 Silver Sponsors. All sponsor logos link to their websites. Without our generous sponsors, we would not be able to provide you the educational opportunities we bring throughout the year, and we love them for their support!

I thank you for the opportunity to represent you as OCEA’s 2019 president and look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

Sincerely,
Mickey Vandenberg